What is lupus? It’s something you might be wondering after watching any episode of House, M.D where the doctors spend their time arguing back and forth over whether something is or isn’t lupus. Or you may be worrying that you yourself might be suffering from the condition.

Well, either way, there’s a lot we know about lupus, and a lot we don’t know. But let’s look at some of the basic details to figure out what is lupus, what the signs and symptoms are, and what you can do to treat it.

What Is Lupus?

Lupus is a chronic condition where the body essentially attacks its own tissue. You see, lupus is something called an autoimmune disorder, which is a condition where the immune system begins to treat the cells of the body as if they were a foreign pathogen.

In a healthy immune system, white blood cells attack and destroy invading cells from viruses or bacteria. But in someone with an autoimmune disorder, these cells attack the other, healthy cells of your body instead. No one is completely sure why this happens in someone with lupus, but it seems to have something to do with a combination of genetics and environment.

For starters, we know that there’s a connection with genetics and lupus. People with lupus often have family members who have the condition, and the fact that almost 90% of lupus patients are women definitely suggests a genetic component.

And as for the environment, lupus is often triggered by something that a patient is exposed to. A significant proportion of lupus cases happens after the patient suffers from a serious episode of bacterial infection. That implies that the immune system of someone genetically predisposed to lupus is triggered into a hypersensitized state by that infection.

And in addition, a lot of cases of lupus are caused by exposure to certain medications, primarily anti-seizure medications.  And in these patients, lupus often goes away after they stop taking the medication. So that implies that for some people, lupus symptoms can be created entirely by external substances.

What Are The Symptoms?

The symptoms of lupus are generally consistent from patient to patient, but the severity of lupus can vary pretty significantly. Lupus can do damage to the cells of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and nearly every other organ. This usually leads to those tissues becoming swollen or inflamed. And that results in painful joints and swollen limbs, which makes moving difficult for lupus patients.

Skin issues are also quite common among people with lupus. And one of the most obvious signs that doctors look for when diagnosing lupus is a distinctive butterfly-shaped rash across the face of lupus patients. In addition, people with lupus often develop painful sores in the mouth.

In the worst cases of lupus, the damage caused to the body can even be fatal. Because lupus causes tissue damage, it can begin to destroy important organs. The heart can become swollen and scarred, which makes it harder for it to pump blood through the body. The kidneys can also begin to shut down, which leaves your body unable to filter out toxins. And the red blood cells that carry oxygen to the brain are often damaged by lupus, which is also life-threatening.

However, most people don’t experience such severe lupus, and lupus can be treated and managed in most patients.

How Is It Treated?

For most lupus patients, it’s perfectly possible to live a normal, productive life. There is no cure for lupus, but there are things you can do to make it manageable.

To begin with, adopting a healthy lifestyle will make your lupus symptoms less severe. Avoid processed foods and get plenty of exercise. Focus on maintaining as positive an attitude as you can. These simple changes can actually make a big difference in managing your lupus.

As far as medications go, most doctors prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs. This class of drugs reduces the amount of inflammation in people with lupus, which helps restore some of their mobility and also reduces the amount of pain they experience. In addition, your doctor might try a corticosteroid which is designed to do the same thing and reduce the amount of swelling in your tissue.

And while there is currently no cure for lupus, research into the condition is continuing and making strides every day. If you would like to contribute to the fight against lupus, you can donate to the Lupus Foundation of America a which works to raise awareness of lupus and fund research with charitable events.

So what is lupus? Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that impacts many peoples’ lives. But there is something you can do to fight back. Help raise lupus awareness and contribute funds to research. Together we can make a difference.